Upright piano



July 12,1927. w LANE UPRIGHT v PIANO Filed Dec; 29 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Walfer Lane:

I BY

A T TORNE Y3 July 12,1927. 1,635,755

W. LANE UPRIGHI PIANO Filed Dec. 29. 1924 2 Shoa s-Sheet 2 [N VENTOR IVa/fer Lane Patented July 12, 1927. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

WALTER LANE, or HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, Ass GNoR T BUSH & LANE PIANO COM- PANY, or HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

UPRIGHT PIANO.

Application filed December '29, 1924. 'Serial No. 758,701.

The main object of this'invention is toprovide an improved upright piano having superior tone quality. c

A further object is to provide an upright piano having qualities of a grand piano. Objects pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation of my improvements will definitely appear from the I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred en1bodimeat of my improvements is clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which 'Fig. I is a front perspective view of portions of the. frame of a piano andistring plate embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. II is an enlarged detail vertical section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. I, the sounding board being shown in operative relation to the stringplate, only one string and its coacting hammer being shown. I

In the drawing similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout both views. I

In practice my present improvements are preferably embodied in a structure having the features shown in my Letters Patent No. 1,146,432, dated July 13,1915. As the general structure is shown in that patent, I have only illustrated such parts as seem necessary to a complete understanding of my present improvements.

In the accompanying drawing, I only show portions of the frame of a piano, the portions of the frame shown being the bottom member 1 and uprights 2, the back frame not being shown. 3 represents the sounding board. j

The string plate 4 is mounted, as is the usualpractice, upon a suitable back frame.

The wrest plank 5 extends across the top of the frame at the rear of the string plate, the string plate having-a rearwardly projecting flan e 6 below the wrest plank.

Tie sounding board is provided with a bridge 7 over which the strings 8 are dis posed, the lower ends of the strings being secured to anchoring pins 9. The tuning pins 10 are passed through the plate webs, designated by the numeral 11.

The tuning pin web 11 has a rearward offset 12 at its lower edge providing a recess 13 below the rest bar 14, the strings S being supported by this wrest or pressure bar.-

A bridge bar 15 which is, in the structure illustrated, formed as an integral part of the :tring plate, is disposed in opposed relation to this recess and in coacting relation, to the rest. bar, that is, its inner edge is disposed so that the strings, when passed over the rest bar lat and under the bridge bar, are deflected as shown, thereby insuringproper engagement with both.

The hammers 16 are arranged to strike the strings from the bridge bar side thereof. The face 17 of the bridge bar adjacent the hammers is inclined away from the hammers thereby making it possible to mount the hammers so that they strike the strings close to 1t)heir points of engagen'ient with the bridge By this arrangement I secure a very clear tone quality, the bridge part being suspended at the ends andbeing free from wood block and plate webs, with spring pressure on bridge toward the hammers. This, so far as applicant is aware, differs from the usual upright piano construction in which the bridge part is formed as a projection on the web plate with the base of the bridge a part of the web throughout its length, the hammer blow striking wire toward the bridge bearing. Pianos embodying my improve ments have very clear tones.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in the particular form which I have followed in practice and I believe the disclosure made will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim .as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an upright piano, the combination with a. sounding board provided with a bridge, of an upright string plate operative 1y associated with said sounding board and comprising a tuning pin web having a rearward ofi'set at its lower edge and provided with a string rest at the upper edge of the offset, a bridge bar on said string plate disposed in an opposed relation to said offset of said tuning pin web and adjacent to said string rest, strings disposed over said string rest and under said bridge bar, the edges of the string rest and bridge bar being disposed so that the strings are held under tension against both and hainniers arranged to strike the strings from the bridge bar side thereof, the face of said bridge bar adjacent the han'nners being upwardly inclined from its string engaging edge permitting the hannners to strike the strings in close progiinity to said bridge but:

2. In an uprightpiano the combination with a sounding board provided with a bridge, of an upright string plate operatively associated with said sounding board and comprising a tuning pin web having a re; 1- ward ott'set at its lower edge and prwided with a string rest at the upper edge of the oii'set, a bridge bar on said string plate disposed in an opposed relation to r d offset of pin web and ad: t to said sain tunin string rest, s

rest and nnde; said bri g the string rest and bridge so that the strings h i against both and hannners 2,. ed to .1 iihe the str' igs from the bridge bar e thereof.

3. In an upright piano, the conibin'tion with a sounding board provided with bridge, of an uprigi t string piate operative tr associated with said sounding board and eon'iprisiug a tuning pin web reeessee at the bottom thereof and provided with a string rest above the recess, a bridge bar on said string plate disposed in an opposed rela ion to said recess and adjacent to rest, strings disposed over said string r and under said bridge bar the edges of the 1 bridge bar being di i string rest ant so thatthe str ngs are held under ten l H i against both and hannners arranged to strike the strings front the bridge bar side thereof, the ce oi said bridge bar adjacent the nners being inciined from its string engaging edge permitting the han'nners to strike the strings in close proxrnntg to said bridge bar.

i. in an upright piano, the combination with a sounding board provided with a bridge, of an upright string plate operativer associated with said sounding board and comprising a tuning pin web recessed at he bottom thereof and provided with a string rest above the recess, a bridge bar on said string plate disposed in an opposed relation to se'd recess and adjacent to said string rest, strings disposed over said string rest and under said bridge bar, the edges or the string rest and bridge bar being this posed so that the strings are held under ten sion against both and hammers arranged to .--itrike the strings from the bi" tge bar side thereof.

5. In an upright piano, the combination with a sounding board provided with a bridge, of an upright string plate opcrativeiy associated with said sounding board and woi l'iSil! a tuning pin web pror'dec with s ing est, a bridge bar on said strin plate disposed adjacent to said string rest, "trings disposed over said string rest and under said bridge bar, the e es of the strin t and bridge bar being disposed so that s strings are held under tension aganist ti and hammers arranged to strike the strings from the bridge bar side thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto sethand.

VALTER LANE. 

